Protesting farmers on Tuesday deviated from the pre-designated routes for their tractor parade and entered the Red Fort after clashing with police at Central Delhi’s ITO. Visuals showed protesters unfurling a flag of their outfit at the Red Fort where the tricolour is usually hoisted by the Prime Minister on Independence Day even as the Delhi Police appealed to them to not take law in their hands and maintain peace.
Chaotic scenes were witnessed at ITO, where hundreds of protesters were seen pelting stones at police personnel and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by the cops. A DTC bus was also vandalised by angry farmers, prompting the cops to use tear gas and lathicharge to disperse them and thwart their attempt to move towards Lutyens’ Delhi and Rajpath, the heart of the national capital.
Traffic was affected in several parts of the national capital, with Delhi Police blocking all roads leading to central Delhi from east and and north-east Delhi and gates of more than 10 metro stations were closed.
Pakistan was seen celebrating the situation as they tweeted about the victory of Khalsa Flag. Here is the tweet shared by Pakistan:
Khalsa Flag on Red Fort ?
History being made
it is time for tea ?pic.twitter.com/YjqJQP17gD#IndianRepublicBlackDay
#FarmersProtest— Pakistan First (@APMLOfficial_) January 26, 2021
Earlier in the day, groups of farmers broke police barricades at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points and forced their way into Delhi — much before the time they were granted permission by Delhi Police for their Republic Day tractor rally.
The police used tear gas at Ghaziabad border and resorted to lathicharge at Singhu to disperse the farmers, who were expected to hold their tractor rally after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath.
The situation was tense at Delhi’s Akshardham after some farmers brandished swords and clashed with police personnel. A video of the incident shows police using tear gas shells to push back the farmers who had taken out their swords.
At Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk, security personnel used tear gas on groups of farmers as they tried to break barricades and cemented barriers with tractors.
The police asked the farmers to head back to their pre-decided routes for the tractor parade. “We request to the protesting farmers to not take law in their hands and maintain peace,” Additional PRO Anil Mittal said.
Source: India Today
